Turkish FM requests ‘bugging explanation’ from Kerry

BANDAR SERİ BEGAVAN, Brunei – Anadolu Agency

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) meets with Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu before attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) security meetings in Bandar Seri Begawan July 2, 2013. REUTERS Photo

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has asked U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for an explanation following reports of covert U.S. surveillance of Turkish missions.

“I expressed to him [Kerry] that we demand an explanation related to the bugging scandal. Kerry told me that they had limited information on the issue but they will share the data with us after they complete the necessary work,” Davutoğlu told reporters today on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) meeting in Brunei.

“In principle, we think that such incidents shouldn’t happen between allies like the United States, Turkey or the EU. We will evaluate the situation after we get the explanation and information from the U.S., however we shared the situation with Kerry in a friendly way,” Anadolu Agency quoted Davutoğlu as saying. Turkish and American teams would be in touch, he added.

The two leaders also discussed the Syrian crisis and Palestine-Israel relations in a one-hour meeting.

“John Kerry asked for Turkish help, saying Turkey had an important role in the Palestinian peace negotiations,” Davutoğlu said, noting that he found Kerry “very hopeful” about the process. He added that Turkey would support any peace initiative and establishing a sovereign Palestinian state is a basic condition for real peace.

They also voiced their concerns over the Syrian crisis, in consideration of the latest attack on Homs.

“The involvement of foreign elements, especially the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, in the Syrian civil war, is worrisome,” Davutoğlu said, adding that they had discussed possible steps to be taken ahead of the Geneva peace conference.